Frequently Asked Questions

Your Guide to ACSA Water & Services

Have questions about Albemarle water services? Our comprehensive FAQs cover everything from starting or stopping service to ACSA water bill payments, meter upgrades and water quality concerns. Get the information you need right here.

Start or Stop Service

It’s easy! Click here, then click “Create an Account” and enter account information as requested. Once your account has been created, select “Paperless Bills.”

Yes, a Billing ID is required to set up paperless billing, and the Billing ID is not generated until your account is billed for the first time.

A summary of your current billing statement will be emailed to you after you Create an Account. This email will include your name, service address, amount due and a link to make a payment.

Following enrollment for e-Bill, you will receive a confirmation email. If you don’t receive the confirmation email, first check your spam folder and adjust your spam settings to allow these emails. Next log in to e-Bill and select “User Options” to verify your email address is correct. Note that e-Bill access is not limited to an email notification. You may log in at any time to access current or past statements.

After you Create an Account, your paperless bill is available immediately online. Moving forward, you will have access to a 24-month invoice history.

Yes. Your printed and mailed statement will stop when you elect to receive your statement electronically.

Yes. Should you need to revert to a printed and mailed statement, go into your account and deselect the “Paperless Bill” option. Your statement will then be mailed to you beginning with your next billing cycle.

Go to Start or Stop Service Page

e-Bill & Autopay

You can log in through this link. If you don’t have an account yet, you can also create one through the same link. If you need more thorough, step-by-step instructions, please download our PDF guide.

No. The Billing ID will be listed on your billing statement and will begin with “0168xxxxxxxx.” If you do not have a statement, please email our customer service team at custserv@serviceauthority.org or call 434-977-4511.

First, check your junk folder. If you still have not received an email, please email our customer service team at custserv@serviceauthority.org or call 434-977-4511.

For customers wishing to establish Autopay, please follow the instructions below:

  • Click “Setup Recurring Payments” under “amount due.”
  • Once you have clicked “Setup Recurring Payments,” you will be redirected to a new website.
    • You will need to enroll in this website as well by clicking “Register Now.”
  • Once all information is completed, click “Enroll.”
    • Once enrolled you’ll need to add a payment method then click “Create Autopay.”

Congratulations, you have successfully enrolled in Autopay!

Go To Pay My Bill Page

MyWater

MyWater is an innovation program that will enhance the high-quality services we currently provide through a series of customer service and infrastructure-related improvements.

ACSA has been thoughtfully planning technology upgrades for a long time, and MyWater supports our continual effort to maintain the highest level of customer service and improve utility operations. 

MyWater empowers customers with several benefits and will streamline operations, reducing many of our manual processes, including meter reading and billing, while allowing for other value-added activities. MyWater also empowers our staff and provides them with new opportunities to gain knowledge and achieve greater success in their roles.

The upgrades under MyWater are already included in our current and future budgets. There is no additional cost to our customers and no extra increase on their water bills.

The first project conducted under MyWater was the Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) project, which has been completed. 

The AMI project upgraded all of ACSA’s 20,000-plus water meters to advanced meters. These new meters allow both customers and ACSA to proactively view water usage data in near real-time, enabling customers to manage their accounts more effectively as we service them with greater efficiency. Notifications on leaks, high usage, outages and other events help customers avoid costly repairs and higher bills while we all cut water waste.

In 2025, ACSA will announce more innovations, including a new online portal that will allow customers to view their water usage information and receive important notifications from ACSA through their preferred methods of contact. Our new system will also provide customers with several convenient payment options without incurring fees (e.g. credit card, Venmo, PayPal, PayPal Credit, echeck/ACH).

The upgraded meters record your water usage information and securely deliver it to ACSA. The readings are used for billing purposes and to monitor for leaks and other alerts to provide the highest quality service to our customers. 

Personal identifiable customer information such as names and addresses are not stored or accessible by the meters or reading software.

The advanced meters exceed the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) health and safety standards. The energy produced by these meters is much less than common devices, including cell phones, microwaves, baby monitors and internet routers.

For more information about our MyWater program or your water meter upgrade, call us at 434-977-4511.

Go To MyWater Page

Water Quality

Based upon inquiry calls and complaints received over the past several years, in addition to the specific request made by the Old Trail Homeowners Association in Crozet, testing of mold on various surfaces within several customer homes in Crozet and the Charlottesville urban area has been conducted. The effort was two-fold: (1) identify the specific type(s) of mold that customers have experienced, typically as a black ring in the toilet or as a growth on the aerator screen of a faucet; and (2) confirm that the mold is not present in ACSA water, providing proof that the growth is indeed internal. See below or download this FAQ sheet for more information about testing procedures and water quality.

You may have noticed pink-colored “stains” or growths that can develop in moist areas in your home, particularly in the bathroom and especially in the warm-weather months. Rest assured, a pink residue is not a problem with your water quality, and it is not harmful in this situation. Read our information sheet to learn more.

Go To Water Quality Page

Mold

No. We now have data as proof that the mold is from an internal situation in your individual home/business. Microscopic mold spores get into the home – in the air, on your clothing, and especially on pets that go in and out. When the spores “find” dark, constantly damp areas, they thrive, and you see growth. Our water merely provides the moist environment for the mold growth, as would water from nearly any source.

There’s not enough chlorine (disinfectant) there. The amount needed to keep your water safe to drink does not stay in the toilet bowl or at the mouth of the faucet very long; it is soon “lost” to the air. The summertime warmth of the water is another factor; it can retain chlorine only briefly.

The issue with mold occurs in several neighborhoods in the Charlottesville and Crozet area, and there are multiple factors acting in concert in the Crozet community of Old Trail:

  • The spores come from forested land, especially in a damp year, and the Crozet air flow can come directly from the mountains.
  • There continues to be active construction in several areas of the neighborhood, meaning there is exposed soil that is often moist. This can be a source of spores.
  • However, the most significant factor that we have seen for several years, and in multiple neighborhoods, is the use of mulch. The link has been undeniable. Mold and all fungi feed on wood material. The mulch may be in your yard, a neighbor’s yard, or used by facility management companies on trees and bushes in newer subdivisions. In some instances, the mulch is brought in for all but a few months of the year. Especially when wet, the mulch piles are a breeding ground for molds, and airborne spores will result. Pets that walk or roll around in mulch piles will particularly “inoculate” your home.

We wish we had all of the answers for you. The mix of our hardwood trees (particularly oak/hickory) is likely one factor. The average rainfall is another. The type of mulch (hardwood vs. pine/cedar) may play a role as well.

Once established, the mold may be difficult to eliminate entirely. However, regular and thorough cleaning with household bleach is the best means to control the organisms. Vinegar will not be as effective. 

  • For toilets, clean the bowl regularly and thoroughly. The mold will wipe away very easily. You may wish to periodically add up to a cup of bleach to the toilet tank, mix, and let stand for a few minutes. Then flush the bowl a couple of times to move the bleached water through the flush ports under the rim. You could also use bleach discs that hang in the tank. However, over time the discs will eventually damage the rubber flapper and the toilet tank may leak water, causing a large water bill. 
  • Remove sink faucet aerators, if possible, and use an old toothbrush to clean them. Soak them in a 50/50 bleach/water solution for 20 minutes before returning to the faucet. (Note: if pliers are needed to remove an aerator, pad the aerator with a thin cloth so as not to scratch it). If the aerator cannot be removed, scrub it from the underside with an old toothbrush that has been soaked in 50/50 bleach/water.
  • Make sure any shower curtains and liners are always left fully open to dry thoroughly. Spray the liner with a product that contains bleach or another disinfectant. Leave the exhaust fan on longer than normal, especially in warm, humid months. If you do not have an exhaust fan, opening a window may only make the situation worse since more spores may enter the home.
  • A shower head can be soaked in bleach solution as described above, or it may unfortunately need to be replaced if the growth is extensive. 
  • Use a cotton swab dipped in a bleach solution to clean inside the water dispenser of a refrigerator; rinse with a water-damp swab. Long-handled swabs may be necessary. 
  • For our customers who have a septic system, consideration should always be given to the amount of bleach or other disinfectants that are allowed to enter the system.

Any pink growth can typically be controlled quite easily through regular cleaning with household bleach or products designed for bathroom cleaning. Use of vinegar will be far less effective.

  • Clean bathtubs, shower walls and curtains, and around drains with bleach or a product that contains bleach or other disinfectant.
  • Always open shower curtains and liners fully after use to allow them to dry. It is most effective to spray them with a disinfectant immediately following use. Leave the exhaust fan on longer than normal, especially in the warm, humid months. 
  • For toilets, clean the bowl regularly. You may wish to periodically add up to a cup of bleach to the toilet tank, let stand for 15-20 minutes, then flush the bowl a couple of times to move the bleached water through the flush ports under the rim. However, bleach should not be left in the toilet tank for prolonged periods as it will eventually damage the rubber flapper and cause the toilet tank to leak, causing a large water bill. The same comments apply to the use of bleach discs that hang in the tank. 
  • Regularly clean pet water bowls, especially in the summertime. You may wish to let a dilute bleach solution stand in the bowl for 15-20 minutes, followed by thorough rinsing. 

For our customers who have a septic system, consideration should always be given to the amount of bleach or other disinfectants that are allowed to enter the system.

Go To Water Quality Page

Should you have any further questions, please contact custserv@serviceauthority.org

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